Challenges
by the Key of Falling Skies
Summary: Challenges for the... Not many forums I happen to be on!
1. Chapter 1

Challenges!

 **Challenge Name: Clueless**

 **Word Count: Over 300**

 **Description: A tom/she-kit notices their clanmates flinching when they look at them. The kit wonders why as his littermates are made apprentices and they aren't.**

 **Other: Any POV, just have it be from the kit's view and a clanmate's.**

Cloudkit opened her eyes as the bustling noise of the camp reached her ears. She grinned as the overwhelming sight of the world reach her narrowed eyes. Beside her lay a silver she-cat, her mother, with the same scent and position as the she had every night, curled around her daughter. Twisting her head to see in back of her, she could see rounded greenery with sharp tips, probably what Silvernose had described as brambles and elderberry leaves. The mss beneath her claws was the same colour as the den walls, and it had a fuzzy look to it, strangely.

Not waiting to disturb her mother, Cloudkit bounded into the clearing where many cats four times the size of her were sitting and eating prey. About half-way through the sandy place, many cats froze to stare at her, looking miserably uncomfortable. Two kits, who she assumed were Rosekit and Reedkit, the two new kits, gaped at her, and she could see their undisguised confusion as they gaped at her with a strange glint to their eyes. A middle-sized cat pointed at her, whispering harshly to another cat next to him, immediately earning a cuff abound the ears from an older cat.

Cloudkit froze, wondering what was wrong with these cats, until she caught the murmur of a neighbouring clanmate.

"What is wrong with her?" Came the hushed squeak of a kit.

" It's ok Rosekit, don't be rude, the nursery got attacked by a fox a while ago." Answered a she-cat that she identified as Morningdew, Rosekit and Reedkit's mother.

It took only a moment for the bustling activity to return, most cats avoiding her gaze while performing their daily activities. Feeling hurt, Cloudkit stumbled away, towards a shining puddle near the towering walls of the hollow that sheltered camp. Looking down she gasped in surprise. She could clearly see many criss-crossing scars on her left paw, which she hadn't noticed before. The skin there was pink and raw, and finally, she got the answer to why she felt as if she were missing certain details and her vision was fuzzy to one side; One of her blue eyes was clouded and had taken on a milky tint. Staring back at herself, events from the past days came back to her, and one in particular, one of an orange creature glaring at her with sharp marble-looking eyes before raising an unsheathed claw.

Letting out a small whimper, she also recalled her confusion, the previous day when she had been told to stay in her nest while she heard the clan chanting the names of two new apprentices. At that moment a comforting smell wreathed around her, along with a soft would, like a rippling stream over pebbles, " My dear warrior, when you look at yourself what do you see?"

Cloudkit was about to snap a stinging retort until she glanced down at the muddy puddle before her. No longer was the image of her injuries staring back at her. Instead, she could see a proud white she-cat, blue eyes scanning the landscape confidently, one looking slightly whiter than the other, but reflecting the light of the sun only more. Instead of scars on her left paw, the she-cat had delicate rose petals wrapped tightly around her paw with intricately patterned cobwebs, giving the warrior a different look. "You see, Cloud _rose_ , you do not have to follow the fate that has been laid out for you; Create your own instead."

And from that moment on, Cloudkit never looked back to what could have been changed in the past, instead she changed her future until she could finally claim the name that she deserved: _Cloudrose_.

 **Yeah... I'm one of those people who can't stop myself from writing happy endings...**


	2. Falling Snow

**Hellos readers! Another challenge for whispers of the past. Oh I think I'm suppose to be an apprentice now too (two weeks active).**

 **Creator: Rainstorm**

 **Challenge Title: Wintry Streets**

 **Word Min/Max: Greater than 300**

 **Description: Write about** **a cat experiencing his or her first leafbare in the forest. It does not necessarily have to be an apprentice. It can be happy or sad.**

 **Other: None**

Snowpaw was awoken by the harsh wind. Blinking her eyes open blearily, she shook out her white fur, fluffing it up against the cold. She knew she was on dawn patrol that day, and wondered how early it must have been for her mentor not to have come get her. Lifting her gaze from her fluffy white paws, a difference in detail caught her eye.

Through the gaps in the sturdy den wall, she was surprised by what she saw- or rather, what she couldn't see. It seemed like the world was being bombarded by small white flurries that swirled with no pattern, although a certain grace, through the clan territories. _Snow?_ Was the first word that came to mind, from a last time of tales from the elders, and perhaps the forgotten memory of it itself. Turning around, ignoring her friend's hiss as she accidentally whipped the following with her tail, she gazed out of the entrance, only to be greeted by the same storm.

Hesitantly, she stepped one paw outside, only to quickly bring it back inside the den to ease the burning sensation of the cold. Still curious, she ignored the buffeting winds that were swirling around her. Squinting her eyes against the startling whiteness, she took a moment to evaluate her new surroundings. She knew that cats had been worrying about an upcoming blizzard se soon after leaf-fall, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to feel threatened by the raging flames, delicately settling on her fur and blanketing the ground below in what she remembered as being described as shining like a million diamonds underneath the sun and moon's light-not that she knew what diamonds were,but she had to assume it was something that looked nice.

She had heard of how bad leaf-bare was for the clans, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. No-snow was not her enemy, she would learn to use it as an advantage.

 **So, please read and review!**

 **(This was 329 words).**


	3. Half

**Challenge for We The Trees.**

 **Name:** You Need To Know

 **Words:** 200 minimum

 **Description:** Your OC finds out that they're half-clan

 **Other:** Make it angsty

 **Note: There was no specification about whether or not the challenge could be about a cat who was a rogue, and a half-clan. Oh, and sorry it's not very angsty... Also sorry if it hardly makes any sense.**

Credits to Erin Hunter for Warriors and Bloodclan.

 _Stars._ It was almost baffling the amount of light that radiated everywhere in sight. Blinking spots out of her vision, she stumbled forward, narrowing her eyes in a vain attempt to shield them from the overwhelming luminosity of the area. _Why was she here?_ She cast a quick glance to her surroundings, but ultimately had to screw her eyes shut, clenching her jaw against the burning sensation in them.

She let out a muttered curse, and could've sworn the light intensified as she did so, as if it was personally trying to reprimand her for her rudeness against... _What exactly? Those annoying cats; the ones with what was apparently supposed to be interpreted as... Daywalking accursed stars?_ Once again the light increased, so that she had to stop stumbling around blindly to cover her eyelids, which weren't enough to block the light, with her tail, more grateful than ever that her fur was long and plentiful. " _Alright, alright! I'll stop with the curses."_ She immediately felt silly for trying to speak to... she wasn't quite sure what, although she wasn't even sure she had said the words out loud.

She wasn't really surprised when nothing happened, but it had been a while again that she had concluded that she was dreaming, and so she didn't bother feeling embarrassed at the fact that she was actually considering that either the light was alive or someone else controlled it and definitely had something against her. After all, many cats disliked her, not that she cared. It was just another way her name suited her, the closest translation to it being 'Darkness'.

Before she had the time to attempt to do anything she heard a faint sound coming from behind her. She hesitantly rose to her paws, certain that the faint call had been an accurate pronunciation of her name; the one she never used. She had already warily taken a few steps in the direction that she hoped was where the voice originated when she was startled once again by the light, or the lack of extreme quantities of it. Looking ahead, she saw a forest, completely made of spindly, decaying trees. The closer she got to it, the less light bothered her.

She was just about to reach the first tree, pleased to leave behind whatever malicious spirit had decided it wanted her blind, when she heard another voice; softer than the last, but also fainter. She froze, angling her ears to try to pinpoint the origins of it.

"Ten." It called again. She turned around, claws unsheathed, only to find herself staring at a small kitten, black fur gleaming under the faint light that still crested over the small hill she hadn't noticed she came over. Her almost heart skipped a beat as she looked at it more closely; the mirror image of her as a kit. She sighed, almost betting that any cryptic storytellers would be annoyed that this whole event was something that almost made her laugh at the whole feeling of repetitiveness and unoriginality. She could have sworn the light back where she came from suddenly intensified at that moment, and she almost felt smug at the fact that it was still to dark to affect her.

The kit stared right through her, to a cat with glimmering stars shining in its pelt. She almost let out a comment about the serious overuse of stars, but kept her mouth shut as she tried to regain the totality of her spotted vision, at the same time as she vaguely recalled a dream, from a long time ago, back when she still called herself Ten. _Well, creepily exact image of herself as a kit, check._ Now if whatever had brought her back to this dream would just get to the point, if there was one, it would be great.

"Who are you?" The kit asked, still talking to the Star-cat, and Shadow, as she liked to call herself, curled her tail neatly around her paws, awaiting to see what would happen next.

"We call ourselves Starclan," 'Star-cat' mewed, "I'm Frostfeather." Shadow nearly snorted at the mention of the name, but the younger clone of herself didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Where are we?" The kit asked, and upon closer look, Shadow saw that both the kit and 'Star-cat' were almost transparent, although she could have been mistaken after literally being attacked by lights.

There was no answer to the question, which was probably for the better, considering the fact that former Shadow still wasn't paying attention, instead watching the dark forest, lit only by fungus and a few bugs. It wasn't particularly frightening, and the young mirror image almost looked fascinated by it, dark grey eyes looking more colourless without any light to reflect, hence the fact that she was surprised when Star-cat shivered as she glared at it, "When you first came here, which voice did you hear loudest?"

"Yours why? Where's the other cat? I'm sure they were in the forest." The kit answered, and Shadow almost felt embarrassed that her younger self was so willing to trust a stranger, but the forest cat... she had heard it too. It had been louder than Star-cat.

Frostfeather appeared to be satisfied by the answer, "Good. So long as Starclan's call is stronger than the Dark Forest, you are one the right path." The kit frowned in confusion for a moment; probably because Starclan and the Dark Forest were and had been unfamiliar to both Shadow and Former Shadow, although they did know of the cats with stars in their pelt.

 _Why would you care?_ She was aware that either the cats were ignoring her, read her mind, or couldn't hear her anyways, so she didn't speak out loud. She was just about ready to turn away from this nonsense about voices good evil and living lights. _If the forest was so evil, and she was indeed dreaming, she might as well go check it out._

"Why am I here?" The kit asked, and Shadow sighed, already beginning to walk in the opposite direction while impatiently waiting to hear whatever cryptic advice Frostfeather had to give, so she was surprised when the Starclan cat's answer was rather straightforward, "It has to do with the fact that you have clan blood, Ten. If your parents haven't left, you would have probably lived in Riverclan... or Shadowclan for that matter." Featherclaw's undisguised distaste for Shadowclan went unnoticed by the kit.

Shadow's blood seemed to freeze in her veins, but she shook herself and took another step towards the forest, away from whatever lies supposed Starclan cats wished to tell the younger version of herself. She stopped once again when she heard her name called twice, same as the last time, coming from two different directions. Unsure whether to follow any of the voices, despite what Frostfeather had said about the dangers of the forest, she was about to approach it, but instead turned around to face a figure that had appeared on the hill she had just let behind.

"Why am I here?" She asked, echoing the younger version of herself without expect a true answer. The cat, now standing closer to her, flicked its star-speckled tail, "To show you the truth, to show you who you used to be, and to show you that you have changed. And not for the better. Which voice did you hear the loudest." It answered. Shadow just stared at it, unsure what to respond. She had once again heard the voice coming from what they called the Dark Forest loudest, and according to all those crazy cats it wasn't a good sign.

The scenery around her had began to fade, and before she was met with complete darkness, she cast a last glance towards the disapproving face of the Starclan cat.

* * *

Claws unsheathed, Shadow faced the group of cats before her, unshaken by whatever strange dreams had decided to haunt her. One signal, one battle cry, and she was suddenly rushing forwards amongst the mass of other cats before her. 'Lionclan' the others called themselves. It wouldn't be long before they were part of Bloodclan.

She wasn't sure how she came to reach the front of the crowd, but she soon found herself staring into the eyes of her adversaries. It wasn't long before her attention was drawn to two specific figures amongst the clans, and it wasn't nearly long enough before she did the one thing she had been taught never to do in battle; she froze.

She stopped in her tracks, even as the rest of her allies spilled out around her to meet their enemies in battle. She sheathed her claws so quickly that she didn't even notice, because before her were standing two cats that were too familiar. Her parents had told her they were going back to the place they came from, and here they were. Frostfeather had not been lying.

She narrowed her eyes, unsheathed her claws, and left.


	4. One Wish

**_This is a challenge for Lightningclan..._**

 ** _Words: Aprox. 1800_**

The last time I saw light was eons ago. Now it is as though light and shadows have reversed roles; we all disappear at the slightest touch of it. I myself am only the small flicker of movement you though you saw in the dark, the sound that you mistaken as the wind rustling the leaves.

 _Somewhere in the forest_

 _A cat appears when your fear is at its greatest_

 _She lurks in the darkest corners of the night_

 _Trust me, she'd catch you without a fight_

One chance. The words that were repeated to me every day. One chance to make a difference; one chance to create a great legacy. From day one, expectations were layered over my fur. They coated me in a blanket of lies; they echoed like unending whispers in my ears. Perhaps that's why my paws were tugged, _no_ \- shoved onto the path of a medicine cat.

 _Take shelter as lighting strikes_

 _Hide from both of the dangers alike_

 _Today still they speak of her crimes_

 _Perhaps she will fade in time_

When I first saw Starclan, I must admit I was awed by all the light simply floating around while somehow failing to blind me. Deerfur was the first cat I saw; my Star-mentor. The clans no longer have Star-mentors, I suppose I should bow down to my adoring fans as they thank me for depriving them of that privilege. The Dark Forest was most certainly pleased, if that counts.

 _When she arrives, trust me she will not be heard_

 _But she come, it'll be with the sound of the buzzards_

 _If you see her, all you can do is wish_

 _You'll wish you could turn to a fish_

I'm sure you're quite eager for me to stop with the nursery rhymes and tell you why I'm here already. Your wish is my command, but I'd be careful what you ask for, it's why I'm here after all.

* * *

Red. Almost every berry was red. Either that, or blue. They weren't very hard to confuse, which was why two different kinds of berries were never picked at the same time. It was too easy to make a mistake without the appearance of a bush to differentiate them. It was so frequent for Sorrelpaw to screw up a remedy when she started training that Whiskerheart often joked about in good nature, calling the apprentice Foxpoppy. The name stuck even as Sorrelpaw grew more experienced, much to the relief of the clan.

Foxpoppy, a strange nickname that was. Even stranger if you consider the origins of the nickname, because if there were two things that were never to be confused, it was foxglove and poppy seeds. If there was any good news to be shared about the different kinds of deadly herbs, it was that nightlock was easier to recognize. Mixing it up was a beginner's mistake, and luckily beginners were constantly monitored by their mentors.

"Whiskerheart? I'm going to check on Eveningfur." Sorrelpaw mewed picking up a fresh cluster of dock leaves into her jaw, holding back the instinct of spitting them out to be rid of the bitter taste.

"She's had a cough lately. It's probably just this weather but if need be you can bring her tansy and poppy seeds." Her mentor answered, "Oh, and maybe you should add a some of your namesake in there, little fox."

"Will do, elder squirrel," the white-furred apprentice purred, exiting the medicine den and padding over to the elder's shelter.

" 'Mornin Paw." Eveningfur mewed, glancing up from where she was eating a squirrel beside Brownclaw.

"I 'ought 'ese 'oo for your 'est." Brownclaw wrinkled his nose, frowning at the smell of the leaves, but by some miracle Eveningfur managed to understand what she was trying to say and nodded before resuming conversation with her denmate. When she was done weaving the dock evenly along the edges of the elder's nest, Sorrelpaw returned to the medicine den.

She piled a few sorrel leaves on top of some tansy before adding a few poppy seeds to the mixture. She wordlessly exited the medicine den and padded back to the elders.

Eveningfur dipped her head politely, "You can bring them inside the den. Oh, and could you fetch Whiskerheart? Shadepelt's been feeling sick."

Whiskerheart, who had been laying out nettle to dry, glanced over in their direction, 'There's no need for that," she called, "I'm sure Sorrelpaw can fetch some juniper berries for you." Whiskerheart had always been careful not to call her Foxpoppy or any shorter version of the name in front of other cats. She could still picture the moment when the promise was made.

 _"I'm worried they'll stop trusting me" Sorrelpaw mewed paws tracing deep marks on the sandy ground as she paced restlessly after mistakening tansy for another plant_

 _"I trust you," Whiskerheart mewed, as though that were enough of an explanation, "You never made any costly mistakes, and I will always be there to guide you until you can be a proper medicine cat, little fox," Sorrelpaw shifted her gaze to the ground below-paw, sure that her mentor did not understand the odds at stake._

One chance _, that was what she had to keep believing._

 _Her mentor paused for a moment, "But, I understand your insecurities, Sorrelpaw, and I will respect your wishes, but between you and me, you'll always be a clever little fox."_

Sorrelpaw was surprised to see that there were already juniper seeds laid out at the foot of her nest. They were slightly shrivelled, but they would do.

Long after the sun set, Eveningfur and Brownclaw were still chatting away while Poolfeather and Lightning-ear tried to herd Reedkit, Petalkit, Gladekit, Grasskit, and Meadowkit into the nursery. Cloudpaw, Mousepaw, Mistpaw, Palepaw, and Sleetpaw were all practicing battle moves near the edge of camp.

With nothing left to do, Sorrelpaw sank into the bracken that grew in abundance near her den, letting it conceal her as she watched the other apprentices. Hidden behind a wall of plants, she took a moment to tell herself that her wish had been granted, that she was finally invisible.

 _How many times had she wished she could be invisible. She couldn't count the amount of times on her paw._

 _She had prayed that cats would leave her alone when she first left the nursery, tired of all the strangers all too eager to introduce themselves to her._

 _She had felt pride when she was named medicine cat apprentice, who wouldn't? She had felt pride, but she had not wanted all her clanmates to cluster around her while the others stared at her jealously._

 _When she cured her grandmother during a whitecough outbreak, she had felt warmth spread through every one of her limbs as her mother and father gazed at her with approval in their eyes. Then she had felt resentment as she caught the_ _glares that Cloudpaw and Palepaw were casting her way, particularly as their mother, her own mother's littermate, congratulated her. She could never tell them that Whiskerheart had saved Acorntail from eating the wrong plant._

She couldn't count the amount of times she had wished she were invisible, yet at that moment she asked herself if it was a wish that was worth it. If her first progress as a medicine cat was praised, it was more or less accurate to see that she was fifteen moons old and only had a few distant friends at this point. The others were already Warriors. _One chance_ , she had been told. She had one chance to stand out and she spent it in the shadows.

 _"Sorrelpaw, if you only ever hide from the light, you'll fade when you reach Starclan. You have one chance. You need to leave behind achievements. Until you have proven yourself worthy, I cannot permit you to be our new medicine cat. Cloudpaw and Palepaw are making more progress as warriors. You can't even tell your own herbs apart!" the deputy lashed his tail. Seeing the surprised look on her face, he mewed, "I'm deputy, Fox, I notice things, including your mishaps." Her grandfather's eyes glittered in annoyance._

 _She had to believe that it was only bad luck. Out of all her family members the only one with any power had to be the one to notice her lack of skills. It wasn't that her other kin was not respected, but none of the others were senior warriors and therefore hardly ever had their say in things._

She looked up at the stars, "Someday I wish I could be renouned throughout the clans." She could have sworn that the stars winked out of sight for a second, but she had probably just blinked. Shaking her head, she rose to her paws. The first step to success was strong allies. She would find a way to reach out to her friends. She was still staring at camp activity when a blood-curling screech rang throughout camp, originating from the Elder's Shelter.

* * *

The end of the story is probably familiar to you. I poisoned Shadepelt. The juniper berries? Strange how similar nightlock can look to it when it's been dried. Next? After that, Whiskerheart and Blackwhisker were next. I had my reasons... just not ones that you have heard of.

 _On a warm summer day_

 _That's when she threw our trust away_

 _To her clanmates she fed ebony beads_

 _Beads more properly known as berries picked out of greed_

 _That is why young one you must hide_

 _On a dark and stormy night she will be silent as an owl's glide_

 _She has sworn revenge_

 _Her own demise she will avenge_

 _Her name you ask?_

 _This nameless creature, the one who has worn too many masks_

 _Of these words you must be wary_

 _For the one in this story, we call her Poisonberry_

But here's the truth. I am not Poisonberry, although I must admit that I am not Sorrelpaw either, not anymore. The nightlock? It was probably meant for me. Blackwhisker conveniently left it near my nest. How he knew of the reason I truly became medicine cat apprentice, I can never be sure. Only Whiskerheart knew that I couldn't train for long without having trouble breathing. Only she knew that I often used juniper berries.

The one that called me her little fox? She betrayed me. How I found out? That's a different story. I am not evil, or so at least I didn't used to be. I wished I could be known throughout the clans. I suppose my wish was granted.

What I am now? An echo. What is left of me is only what you have heard, the rhymes that elders tell kits to scare them, the ones that apprentices whisper loudly when they stand guard and grow bored. My name is Fox.

Hopefully I have told you much enough, but there is still one mystery. Elder squi- Whiskerheart betrayed me, that much is clear, but why isn't she here with me?

 _Next time you ask upon a star_

 _"May my wishes be blessed,"_

 _Ask yourself whether you are wishing for a blessing or a curse._

* * *

 **Name of challenge:** A Blessing or a Curse?

 **Due date:** June 20th

 **Minimum words:** 1,000 words

 **Maximum words:** 10,000

 **Description:** A warrior (or medicine cat) seeks something and wishes for it. Unknowingly to him/her, his/her wish comes true but it comes with a price. (To be precise, a warrior or medicine cat makes a wish for something and they get it but there's a big consequence.)

 **Genre:** Mystery and Drama


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't really like fluff. But that happend to be the challenge... So I did my best XD.**

Title: It's over, isn't it?

Date of creation: 4/14/19

Number of words (min-max): min 1000 max 10000000000

General outline: Basically it's about a cat who loves some cat else but they're in love with another cat. Happy endings are welcome but it's meant to be the sad

* * *

A soft breeze ruffled Pinebranch's tabby fur. She blinked, glancing at the billowing cloudscape above head. The weather had been indecisive since dawn that day, and where the sky had previously been clear and sunlit, the distinct rumble of thunder now echoed distantly, somewhere in the faraway lands of the mountain cats. A plethora of greyish hues blinked back at her, and she let out a rumbling purr.

"That one looks like you!" She stuck out her tongue, gesturing towards a peculiar cloud that could really only be described as a blob.

"Are you accusing me of... Blobiness?" Whiteclaw frowned indignantly, echoing her thoughts.

Her gaze darkened as she saw the distant expression that marked his features. She sighed. Of course, there had already been a sense of foreboding. It had been there that morning as the vibrant colours of dawn brindled her nest with their golden light. She hadn't quite been able to shake it off as she was practically dragged from her nest by a particularly irate Dappledwing for dawn patrol... and it most certainly hadn't ceased to eat away at the rosy aura that had practically clouded her thoughts these past days when she suggested this hunting expedition with the grey and white tom. But she had hoped...

Sighing airily, she shifted close enough to her companion that their fur was brushing, ignoring the small pang of anger that came rushing forth. _Paledawn can go eat a toad!_ When she took a step back, she had already composed herself, allowing her worries to dissolve, at least temporarily, into the birdsong and trickle of water that made this part of the forest an easy favourite amongst all of Thunderclan.

"No, not at _all_ ," She glanced pointedly at his tail.

"Wha- Oh, " He mewed as he finally noticed just how thoroughly his long fur had gotten tangled in the nearest bramble bush.

"I'm not blobby! I'm..."

"Ridiculously fluffy?" She supplied as he struggled to free himself.

"Warriors aren't _fluffy_!" His finally ripped his tail free, wincing as a patch of fur remain to be eaten away by the brush.

"Awww, you can still argue like a kit! How charming."

As disgustingly... _fluffy_ as it sounded, she wished that they could spend all of their days in this moment, a safe distance away from a storm that could never quite reach them.

* * *

The first time that Pinebranch, then Pinekit, had ever opened her eyes... there had been a rather insistant mound of fluff pressing its paws at the edge of her nest and demanding that they go explore.

It was rather amusing to think that the cat that formerly went by the name of Whitkit still bore a faint scar from when she had scratched his muzzle at the mere suggestion that she leave the warmth of the nursery (in her defence, it really _had_ gotten annoying after the hundred and fourteenth attempt).

 _"Pinekit-"_

 _"Two hundred and thirty two." She interrupted._

 _"What?"_

 _"That's the amount of times you've annoyed me here." She deadpanned._

 _"...It's not my fault! Nightspot asked me to fetch you! As is if I'd-"_

 _"Yeah, yeah." She huffed, rising to her paws and stalking away from her denmate's amber gaze._

As apprentices, they were the greatest of rivals. Nevermind Firepaw, the fierce huntress, or Lizardpaw, the oldest 'paw and most powerful fighter. Pinepaw and Whitepaw were caught up in their own competition.

They goaded and egged each other on, insulting and fighting and yet _somehow_ managing not to get into trouble with their mentors.

 _"Haha, you can't even catch a squirrel!" Whitepaw sneered._

 _"Yeah? And how many pieces of prey did you catch on your last assessment?" Challenged Pinepaw._

 _"Six, you?"_

 _"Nine!"_

 _"What?!"_

And then they grew appart. Unlike Pinekit and Pinepaw, Pinebranch was bitter, and judgemental, but there was no cat that she was more harsh on than herself. Paledawn, however, was kind, and caring. Beloved by every kit and apprentice in the clan, she was irritatingly close to perfect.

 _"I can't believe it! Confined to the medicine den by an apprentice!" Pinebranch growled, if only to hide her apparent worry. She did_ not _have feelings for Whitepelt!_

 _"Actually it was an angry_ mob _of apprentices." Whitepelt snorted sheepishly, ignoring the insult._

 _"It really was!" Paledawn laughed, padding into the den, "We should probably train more often... considering our shadowy competition."_

 _"Pinebranch and I always train at half-moon... you should join!"_

Paws off, mangepelt! _The though popped into Pinebranch's head before she could suppress it. After all, she and Paledawn used to be friends... before the tortoiseshell found more interesting cats to be with._ Everyone already likes _you_!

But Pinebranch most certainly didn't like Whitepelt.

* * *

"Whitepelt?" Pinebranch braced herself. _Paledown can go drown in a cave. She can choke on a feather, get blown away by a gale get shredded by a badger get adopted by twolegs crushed by a monster attacked by a mob of angry apprentices thrown off a cliff go to the dark forest and back fall through thin ice get crippled by rocks and-_

"Mhmm...?" _get_ _caught in a woodshipper (whatever that is) drowned in a flood burned frozen killed murdered exiled caught in a tornado crushed by a boulder..._

 _Here we go..._

"You really are a mangepelt. Can't you at least pay attention for one second? That squirrel was right there! Just a tail-length ahead of you. Seriously. Incompetant oaf! I can't believe-"

Although she was doing this intentionally... Whitepelt himself had no way of knowing. She was _apparently_ prone to random fits of anger during which she really _should_ watch her words. But Whitepelt was too loyal for his own good...

"I wish you would-" ' _Be more like Paledawn,'_ she thought sorrowfully.

"I know."

And she padded away. Because Whitepelt truly did love Paledawn. More than Pinebranch.

 _You owe me nothing._


End file.
